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1. ANDREW

Matthew 10:2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first,

Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother;....; (KJV)

It Is Fitting That We Should Start With Andrew As We Begin To Look Into The Lives, And Works, Of The Apostles Because He Was The First To Follow The Teacher From Nazareth.

John 1:40. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.41. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.42. And he brought him to Jesus. .... (KJV)

If There Was No More To Said About Andrew Than What We Have Just Read It Would Be Enough To Fill A Library With Books.

After All Was There A Greater Soul Ever Won To Christ Than Simon Peter? So Right Off We Could Call Andrew The Father Of Personal Evangelism.

How Happy Andrew Must Have Been At Pentecost To Gaze Out Upon A Sea Of Upturned Faces Listening To Peter’s Pentecostal Sermon.

A Sunday School Teacher Named Edward Kimbal Urged A Young Boston Shoe Salesman To Accept Jesus As His Savior. All He Knew Of Him Was That His Name Was Moody.

How Overwhelmed The Teacher Would Have Been If He Had Known That The Boy Was Destined To Become Dwight L. Moody, One Of The Greatest Evangelist Of The Nineteenth Century.

Two Continents Were Rocked Nearer To God By This Great Man. What A Thrill To Lead A Soul To Christ-We Never Know What God Will Do With Them.

Witness For Jesus. Teach A Bible Study. I’m Saved Because Of One.

Andrew, Whose Name Means "Manliness."

Andrew Was A Manly Man, As Were The Rough And Hardy Fishermen Of His Day.

He Is Almost Always Referred To In The Scripture As "Andrew, Simon Peter’s Brother."

Although Overshadowed By His Brother, He Is Always Mentioned In The First Four Names In All The Lists Of The Twelve.

He Was A Disciple Of John The Baptist. (John 1:35)

We First Meet Andrew In Bethabara Beyond Jordan Where John The Baptist Was Baptizing, Some Fifty Or Sixty Miles From His Home In Galilee. Bethsaida.

Andrew’s Mind Was Full Of Old Testament Prophecies, And He Was Very Interested When He Heard Of A New Movement Down The Valley Of The Jordan.

Some Others Had Also Made The Journey Down To Hear John Preach. His Brother Simon Peter, Along With John, And Philip, And Nathaniel. They Heard Something That Day That Was Far Different From The Synagogue Ministry Which Was Cold, Formal, And Lifeless.

John Said, "I Baptize With Water,..."

Andrew And His Companions Made Their Way Down Into The Water To Be Baptized.

2. A CONVERT OF THE LAMB OF GOD

John 1:29.The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. (KJV)

The Same Thing Happened The Next Day, And From That Day Forward Andrew Followed Jesus. So Andrew Had The Honor Of Being The First Disciple To Follow Jesus.

Andrew Brought Others To Jesus. First He Findeth His Own Brother Simon And Brought Him To Jesus (John 1:41-42)

One Time They Needed Food To Feed A Multitude Of People And Andrew Found A Boy With A Lunch-Bag And Brought Him To Jesus.

John 6:8. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9. There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?10. And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. .... (KJV)

Again John Tells The Story Of Some People Who Wanted To See Jesus And Andrew Once Again Brought Them To Jesus.

John 12:20. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

21. The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.22. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. (KJV)

The Last Mention Of Andrew In The New Testament We Find Him In The Upper Room At Pentecost.

Although Andrew Was The First To Follow Jesus It Was To Be That He Was Relegated To A Lesser Role, Or Position, On The Apostolic Honor Roll--The Position Of Honor Went To Peter, James, And John.

There Are Far Too Many Who Will Not Play In The Band Unless They Can Have The Big Drum--Those Who Will Not Work Unless Given A Prominent Position. I Do Not Think That Andrew Ever Envied Peter.

Andrew’s Old Testament Hero Could Have Been Benaiah, One Of David’s Mighty Men.

2 Samuel 23:20. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

21. And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.22. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.23. He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. (KJV)

l. A native of Bethsaida in Galilee, brother of Simon Peter, a disciple of John the Baptist, and afterwards an apostle of Christ. He is said to have been crucified at Patrae in Archaia, On A Cross In The Form Of An X.

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3. SIMON PETER

John 1:42. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (KJV)

2 Peter 1:1. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (KJV)

There Is About Thirty-Five Years That Have Passed Between The First Scripture We Read And The Last One. Simon Is Now An Old Man Waiting To Fulfill The Prophecy Concerning His Death Told To Him By His Lord In The Book Of John.

John 21:18.Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.19. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (KJV)

Ancient Tradition Tells Us That Simon Peter Followed His Lord Until, In Like Fashion, On A Cross, He Paid The Supreme Price For His Apostleship.

Thirty-Five Years In The Service Of His Master. How I Wish We Had A Record Of Every Day Of His Life.

The Road From Fisherman On The Sea Of Galilee To Apostolic Writer Was A Long And Difficult One For Simon Peter.

Only The Name Of Our Lord Himself Comes Up More Often, In The New Testament, Than Peter.

Our Lord Speaks More Often To Peter Than To Any Other Of His Disciples, Sometimes In Praise, Sometimes In Blame.

No Disciple Is So Pointedly Reproved By Our Lord As Peter.No Disciple Ever Ventures To Reprove His Master But Peter.No Disciple Ever So Boldly Confessed And Acknowledged Our Lord As Peter Did So Often.No One Ever Intruded, And Interfered, And Tempted Him As Often As Peter Did.

Jesus Spoke Words Of Approval And Praise, And Even Blessing, To Peter, The Like Of Which He Never Spoke To Any Other Man.He Said Harder Things To Peter Than He Ever Said To Any Other Disciple, Unless It Was To Judas.No Man Ever Had A Greater Consciousness Of His Sins Than Did Simon Peter.

On One Occasion Peter Asks The Lord To "Depart From Me For I Am A Sinful Man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:8) But Jesus Stayed With Him.On Another Occasion, "He Went Out And Wept Bitterly." (Matt. 26:75)

Another Time, "Now When Simon Peter Heard That It Was The Lord, He Girt His Fisher’s Coat Unto Him, (For He Was Naked) And Did Cast Himself Into The Sea." (John 21:7)

Yet Simon Peter Became The Greatest Soul-Winner In The Early Church.With So Great A Subject As The Life Of Simon Peter We Must Limit Our Study To Only A Few Incidents.

FISHERMAN

Simon Peter Was A Fisherman And A Native Of The Small Town Of Bethsaida. (John 1:44)

He Owned His Own Ship (Luke 5:3), And Was A Partner In A Fishing Business With James And John And Their Father Zebedee (Matt, 4:21,(Luke 5:10) On The Sea Of Galilee (Matt.4:18).

Simon Peter Was Married (I Cor. 9:5), And His Mother-In-Law Lived With Him And His Family In The City Of Capernaum (Matt. 8:14).Most Bible Scholars Believe That His Father Was Already Dead.

His Father’s Name Was Jona (John 1:42, Matt. 16:17). (Barjona)

Bar Means "Son", And Jona Means "John", Or Son Of Jonah (Strongs 920).

The Name "Simon" Comes To Us From The Period Of The Maccabees. Simon Was An Aramaic Form Of The Name Simeon, Which Was The Name Of One Of The Sons Of Jacob. (Genesis 29:33)

Nine Different Men In The New Testament Bear The Name Simon.

It Is Interesting To Note That James, The Lord’s Brother, Calls Him Simeon (Acts 15:14).

Our Lord Gave Him A New Name The Very First Time He Saw Him, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." (John 1:42)

Isn’t It Strange That Paul Is The Only New Testament Writer Which Recognized Him By This New Name. Five Times Paul Uses This Name.

Maybe It’s Because That During The Story In The Four Gospels He Had Not Quite Become The "Rock" Which Jesus Said He Would Become.

Peter, A Descriptive Greek Name, Meaning "A Rock", Is The Name We Know Him Best By.

We See More Human Nature At Work In Simon Peter Than Any Other Apostle, In Fact Many Times We Can See Ourselves In His Actions.

He Was Hasty In His Remarks, Always Speaking Before He Thought, But Just As Quick To Repent When Rebuked By Our Lord.

Simon Peter Was A Fisherman By Trade, A Man of The Sea, Where Strength, Will, And Self-Assertion Are Most Useful To Put One Ahead.

We Can Imagine His Loud Booming Voice, And Robust Figure, Was Familiar To Almost Everyone Around The Sea Of Gennesaret.

I Would Like To Discuss Five Sea-Episodes In The Call And Training Of Simon Peter.

4. GOING FISHING WITH JESUS

This First Episode Takes Place A Few Months After Simon Peter Was Introduced To Our Lord In John 1:42.

Miracles Were A Part Of His Ministry As They Were To Become A Part Of The Life Of The Apostles. In This Episode We See How Our Lord Used Extraordinary Means To Turn Ordinary Men Into Apostles.

The Time Was Now Come When The Lord Deemed It Fitting That He Should Surround Himself With A Company Of Disciples, Or Pupils, Who Should Be Constant Witnesses Of His Works, Hearers Of His Words, And Thus Be Trained Up For The Great Task Of Continuing His Mission When He Should Return To His Home In Heaven.

We Could Call This Incident, ‘A Morning By The Lake With Jesus’. We Have So Few Incidents In His Life That We Cherish Them All.

Luke Alone Gives Us The Details Of This Morning, In The Life Of Jesus, And The Impact It Had On The Life Of Peter.

Luke 5:1. And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2. And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. (KJV)

His Fame As A Great Teacher Was Evidently Now Firmly Established, And If It Were Known That He Intended Speaking In Public, A Crowd Of Listeners Would Gather Quickly Around Him, Whether In The Synagogue, Or On A Hillside, Or In The Marketplace, Or As In This Case By The Lake Shore.

This Day, As He Taught By The Quite Lake Waters, The Throng Was So Great That He Borrowed The Fishing-Boat Of Simon Peter’s To Sit In And Teach The Multitude.

Luke 5:3. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. (KJV)

When Our Lord Had Finished His Discourse To The People He Turned To Simon Peter And Told Him To Push Out To Deep Water And Let Down Your Nets For Some Fish.

Luke 5:5. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.7. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. (KJV)

Simon Peter Had Been Fishing All Night Long And Had Caught No Fish But Reluctantly He Agreed To Try, And When He Did There Was A Miraculous Multitude Of Fish Enclosed In The Net.

The Amount Of Fish Was So Great That The Nets Were Breaking And Pulling Apart So Peter Called To James And John, Who Were Near-By, And Beckoned For Them To Come And Help Him.

5. Simon Peter Leaves His Net To Follow Jesus

The Miraculous Draught Of Fish Was So Great That Both Ships Were Filled To Their Capacity.

Now Let Us See The Reaction Of Simon Peter To This Miracle Which Took Place In His Own Life.

Luke 5:8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:10b. And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon... (KJV)

A Feeling Of Intense Overpowering Awe All Of A Sudden Came On Simon Peter After Listening To The Words And Seeing This Last Act Of Power Which So Closely Affected Him.

The Very Fish Of His Native Lake, Then, Were Subject To This Holy Man.

This Was No Mortal, Thought The Fisherman, And He Fell At The Master’s Feet Proclaiming His Sinfulness, As Isaiah And Daniel Did When Ushered Into God’s Presence. (Isaiah 6:5; Daniel 10:7-8)

Then The Same Words Of Cleansing And Hope Were Spoken To Him As To Isaiah (6:7), And To Daniel (10:12).

Luke 5:10b.., Fear not; ... (KJV)

"Fear Not", Was A Favorite Expression, Having Been Used By God Several Hundred Times In The Bible, And Peter Was To Hear It Many More Times During His Walk With His Master. John Was The Last To Hear It Audibly Many Years Later While On The Isle Of Patmos.

Luke 5:10b....; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. (KJV)

The Lord’s Strange Prophetic Words Which Accompanied Their Call To Service, All Would, In After Years, Come Up Before The Disciples.

The Great Fisherman, Christ; His Imitators And Servants, Fishers; The World Of Men Pictured As Fish.

This Became A Favorite Theme Of The Early Church, They Sang About It, Preached About It, Engraved It In Stone, Painted It, And Wrote About It.

This Day, In The Lives Of The Men Jesus Called, Would Come To Them Many Times, Their Failure In Catching Fish, The Master’s Success, The Net Bursting With Fish, Then Their Alternating Failure And Success In The Mighty Task He Had Set Them To Do.

One Of The Earliest Extant Christian Hymns In Existence Is By Clement Of Alexandria, The Words Are Addressed To Christ.

"Fishers Of Men, The Blest,Out Of The World’s Unrest,Out Of Sin’s Troubled Sea,Taking Us, Lord, To Thee;

Out Of The Waves Of StrifeWith Bait Of Blissful Life;Drawing Thy Nets To Shore,With Choicest Fish, Good Store."

(Hymn By Clement Of Alexandria A.D. 215)

6. A STORM AT SEA

This Is The Second Sea-Episode That I Would Like To Share With You In The Life Of Simon Peter.

Mark 4:35. And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.36. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (KJV)

Verse Thirty-Five Tells Us That "Even Was Come", Or That Night Was Falling. It Also Tells Us That It Was Jesus’ Suggestion To "pass over unto the other side."

Mark 4:37. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.38. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (KJV)

We Could Call Him "The Weary Christ."That Had Been The Day That He Had Preached All Those Wonderful Parables.All Day Long He Had Preached, The Multitude Pressed Upon Him To Hear The Word, And He Had Not Taken Time Out To Eat.Preaching In The Hot, Stifling Atmosphere Was Exhausting.

With Our Lord Preaching Was No Cheap And Easy Business--And To No Preacher Worthy Of His Calling.

Preachers Are Ambassadors For Christ--Beseeching Men And Women. Preaching Is Serious Business. There Is No Vocation So Burdensome, So Toilsome, So Exacting, So Costly. It Puts A Strain On The Body, The Mind, The Heart, And The Spirit. It Cost Blood, Sweat, Tears, And Agony.

He Fell Asleep On The Hard Boards. A Pillow Of Nets?He Slept When The Wind Arose.He Slept On When The Waves Roared.He Slept During The Excitement Of The Boat Filling With Water.Tired, Weary, Utterly Spent, The Seemingly Heedless Christ Slept On. The Disciples Excited, Doing Their Best, In The Storm.

"Carest Thou Not That We Perish?" (Mark 4:38)Sometimes It Seems That He Sleeps On When We Cry. But He is Not A Heedless Christ.He Hears Our Sighs, He Counts Our Tears, He’s Watching All the Time.

Mark 4:39. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (KJV)

In The Eyes Of Simon Peter He Became The Mighty Christ.

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7. Matthew The Publican

The Call Of Matthew

In This Incident Jesus Is Back In Capernaum.

Luke 5:27. And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.28. And he left all, rose up, and followed him.29. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.30. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?31. And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. (KJV)

8. Matthew's High BirthIn This I Study We Want To Think Of The Background Of These Men Whom Jesus Chose.We Want To Think Of Their Personalities, Attitudes,And Religious As Well As Their Political Beliefs.

Remember We All Bring These With Us As We Come To Christ.Many Factors And Events Have Played On Our Lives And These All Have Helped To Shape Our Thinking And Condition Of Our Soul When Christ Found Us.

Some Are "Hardened" By The "Circumstances Which Play Upon Them.Some People Leave Good Christian Homes, With Righteous Up-Bringing, And For Some Unknown Reason Go Into The Depths Of Sin.

But Jesus Said, "I Came Not To Call The Righteous, But Sinners To Repentance."And That's Why Levi, Or Matthew, Got His Call From Jesus To Follow Him.

The Name "Levi" Was Given To Him, Most Likely By His Father, A Hebrew Name From The Sons Of Jacob.The Galilean Name, "Matthew," Was Probably To Him By His Mother, It Meant "Gift From God."

Raised By Such Godly Parents Levi, Or Matthew, Learned The 'Holy Scriptures.'This Was Indicated In His Gospel So Many Times When He Used The Phrase, "That The Scriptures Might Be Fulfilled." This Phrase Appears In Page After Page Of His Gospel.

Levi's Godly Parents Must Have Been Heart Broken When He Chose A Profession Of Such Shameful, And Disgraceful Repute, As Orthodox Jews Deemed That Of A Publican To Be.

His Very Name, Levi, Related To The Priestly Order, Indicated In His Membership In The Tribe Set Apart For The Worship And Service Of God. Numbers 3:6

His Name 'Levi' Means "Joined," Genesis 29:34It Was The Name Given To The Third Son Of Leah To Jacob.

In Numbers 18:1-2, The Tribe Of Levi Was 'Joined' To Aaron For The Priesthood Ministry Forever.

So Matthew Was Born To Serve The Lord.His Family, Home, Background, Nation, All In His Favor.

Alphaeus, His Father, (Mark 2:14) And Mary, His Mother, (Mark 15:40) Took Him To Jerusalem And Presented Him In The Same Temple In Which Jesus Was Presented In At Age Twelve.

How Joyful Was Their Hearts As They Returned To Capernaum After The Sacrifice Was Made That Day.A Son Named Levi, 'Joined' To The Lord.Matthew, 'A Gift From God.'What More Could They Ask?Sometime During This Time Period Another Son Was Born Which Would Be Called 'James The Less.'

He Too Would Hear The Same Voice Which Spoke To His Older Brother, "Follow Me," And He To Would Become One Of The Chosen Twelve.What An Honor To Have Two Sons Become An Apostle.

9. Sunk Into The Depth's Of SinWe Do Not Know All That Happened In Matthew's Heart To Cause Him To Take The Turn In The Road Of His Life Which He Took.

And In The Years That Followed As He Sat At The Receipt Of Custom, Adding Up His Ill Gotten Gains, Levi Must Have Been Haunted By The Vision Of The Haggard Face And Dry Eyed Grief Of His Noble Father, And By The Tense Quivering Features Of His Saintly Mother Over Their Son's Despicable Position.

To Think That Their Son, Of Such Noble Birth, And Who Had Brought Them Such Joy, Had, Because Of His Love For Mammon, Taken The Hire Of The Alien, And Became The Pawn Of The Enemy.

Matthew Found Himself "Joined" By The "Gilded Fetters" Of The Roman State, And Had Forfeited His Golden Opportunity In Life.It Must Have Been A Heavy Cross For Mary And Alphaeus…

Yes This Is The Story Of The Original Prodigal.Levi Became,Not A Priest,But A Publican,One Of Caesar's Toll Men.

Jews Looked Upon Publicans As A Social Outcast, A Renegade From National Faith, And A Betrayer Of Their Messianic Hope. An Oppressor.

Their Law Offered Them No Place Of Repentance.The Bible Grouped Together "Publicans And Harlots," And "Publicans And Sinners." Matthew 9:11; 21:31

In His Desire To Gain Tainted Money--Think Of What Matthew Lost.He Sold His Home Circle, And Placed Himself Outside The Fellowship Of His Loved Ones, His Orthodox Jewish Friends, Matthew Became An Outcast.

He Sold His Country And Entered The Service Of The Oppression Of Rome.The Flame Of Patriotism Was Quenched By A Baser Love, Matthew Became A Traitor.

He Sank Lower As He Sold His Conscience, Because He Knew This Was A Dishonest Profession, Lust For Money Had Quieted The Inner Voice.Lower Yet As he Sold His Faith, His Very Name "Levi" Was A Link With A Godly Ancestry.Lowest Of All When He Severed Ties Which "Joined" Him To The Law And Commandments And "Joined" Himself To Paganism.

Yes Matthew Had Been Dead For A Long While, Because Honor Had Been Sold, And Conscience Was All But Stifled.

The Worst Of Money Is That It Cost So Much To Get.Yes Matthew Was Brought From The Pit.Psalm 40:1. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.3. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. (KJV)

10. Becoming Acquainted With JesusOne Of The Most Interesting Things About The Call Of The Disciples Is That It Came To Them Where They Were.

They Did Not Have To Dress Up And Go To Church To Meet Him, He Came To Them.Matthew Was Sitting At His Table Attending To His Business As A Customs Officer When Jesus Came And Called Him To Follow Him.

At This Seat Matthew Was Well Aware Of All The News In The Area.Matthew Checked Out Each Stranger Who Came To Town, What Kind Of Business They Were In, Where They Were From.

A Year Or More Before Jesus Had Come To Capernaum, Matthew 4:13, And As The Weeks And Months Passed More And More News Reached Matthew Concerning Jesus Of Nazareth.

Miracles And Healings,A Woman With A Issue Of Blood Was Healed,A Man With A Withered Hand Was Healed,A Man Who Had Palsy Was Lowered Through The Roof,A Centurion Made An Appeal Unto Him To Heal A Servant Who Was Deaf And Dumb,A Leprous Man Approached Him, "If Thou Wilt Thou Canst Make Me Whole." Matthew 8:2

And When Other Religious Men Had Thrown Stone At Him To Run Him Away, "Jesus Put Forth His Hand And Touched Him, Saying, I Will; Be Thou Clean."

All These Things Took Place In Capernaum, Matthew's Home Town.

11. Matthew's Heart Begins To Soften

Matthew Knew That There Was Something Different About This Man, Jesus.Matthew Was Probably A Listener In The Crowd At The Sermon On The Mount, He Gave Us The Best Account Of It.

Jesus May Have Looked Him In The Eye When He Said, "Ye Cannot Serve God And Mammon," Matthew's Besetting Sin.

So Matthew Sat At The Seat Of Customs And Thought, No One Had Been Turned Away.Matthew Had, In Heart, Become A Disciple Before That Great Day, But Could He Ever Hope For Personal Recognition?

And Far Less For The Call To Discipleship.But That Day Jesus Looked Into His Eyes Once Again And Read The Secret Of His Heart.

12. Matthew Accepts The Call From Jesus

"Follow Me!"He Celebrated, With A Feast, The Hour In Which Jesus Made Him A Sharer In His Work.No Doubt He Rejoiced When Another "Publican" Climbed A Sycamore Tree To See His Redeemer Pass His Way.Matthew Would Receive A Higher Call, The Call To Apostleship.

Latter In Life, After Years Of Service For His Master, He Would Write The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Hope You Enjoyed This Study Of The Men That Jesus Chose, We Will Continue This Study In Part #3 Of This Series.Check The Other Articles On The Home Page And Also Check Our Other Web Sites.